More Children to Receive HIV Treatment Under New EGPAF Partnership with Drug Company

By Racine Tucker-Hamilton | December 10, 2013

Dr. Appolinaire Tiam, EGPAF's country director for Lesotho, was a panelist at the symposium entitled "When Children Need HIV Treatment Beyond First-Line: How Can We All Respond?"

Courtesy of Janssen, the pharmaceuticals of Johnson & Johnson.

Children and adolescents living with HIV will benefit from Janssen’s, the pharmaceutical companies of Johnson & Johnson, first-of-its-kind pediatric HIV treatment donation program. Janssen will donate HIV medicines, free of charge to sub-Saharan African countries that meet certain eligibility requirements.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), the Supply Chain Management System (SCMS) and MAP International will partner with Janssen on the initiative which was announced on Dec. 9 at a symposium being held at the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) where EGPAF’s Lesotho Country Director Appolinaire Tiam, M.D. served as a panelist. “I want to keep children alive while we are waiting for better treatment options,” he said. “Investing as little as $350 to put a child on the right treatment could save a country thousands of dollars over a lifetime.”

Under the program each child enrolled will receive Janssen's donated HIV medicines as needed until they turn 19 at which point they will be transitioned into an adult HIV care and treatment program.

"We hope this innovative donation program is the first step in sparking further collaborative action across sub-Saharan Africa for children who are experiencing HIV treatment failure,” said Paul Stoffels, M.D., chief scientific officer, Johnson & Johnson and worldwide chairman, Janssen. “Our vision is that these children receive the HIV treatment and care they need to stay healthy and grow to become healthy, productive young adults."

Worldwide, more than 3 million children are living with HIV, 91 percent of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Of that that number, only a third have access to the medicines they need to stay alive and healthy.

Countries interested in more information or submitting an “Expression of Interest” should visit: www.pedaids.org/treatmentdonation. The submission period will run from Jan. 15, 2014 through Feb. 14, 2014.